The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy maintains this blog to disseminate information relevant to astronomers who identify as women. If you have an idea for a blog post or topic, please submit to wia-blog at lists.aas.org.
The views expressed on this site are not necessarily the views of the CSWA, the AAS, its Board of Trustees, or its membership.

Meg Urry, Israel Munson Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Chairwoman of the Department of Physics at Yale University, and Director of the Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, provides CNN a special story about a new study that finds scientists unconsciously rate budding female scientists lower than men with identical credentials. She discusses her career path in a male-dominated profession with reflections upon the study. To read this interesting story, please see

Back to top.2. Women in Astronomy BlogspotFrom: womeninastronomy.blogspot.com

In this week's 'Women in Astronomy' blog, Ed Bertschinger shares his personal internal biases, Neil Gehrels discusses an MSNBC article on gender behaviors when speaking up at meetings, and L. Trouille provides excerpts from the NY Times article on 'The Myth of Male Decline:'

- Avoid the Tiger by Ed Bertschinger Are you biased? I am. I try not to be, but that is impossible, as social scientists have shown us for decades. Check yourself at Harvard Project Implicit. Biases can be helpful. They can steer us away from danger – if one sees eyes reflecting a flashlight beam in the jungle at night, natural selection favors those who presume the worst. But biases can also cause harm, for example, by ….

- Speaking Up at Meetings by Neil Gehrels There is an interesting article on the TODAY web site of MSNBC about different behaviors of women and men in meetings, with some unexpected twists and turns. It is authored by Seattle-area writer Dana Marcario and reports on a study by researchers Chris Karpowitz of BYU and Tali Mendelberg of Princeton published in the American Political Science Review. The study finds that women speak up 25% less than their male counterparts in meetings where they are in the minority, which is not the case with men when they are in the minority…

- NYTimes Opinion Piece: The Myth of the Male Decline by L. Trouille On Friday we posted a link to David Brooks' NYTimes opinion piece, Why Men Fail. A related opinion piece, The Myth of Male Decline, by Stephanie Coontz came out in the NYTimes on Saturday. Below are excerpts of interest from The Myth of Male Decline: On Wage Disparity - Women’s real wages have been rising for decades, while the real wages of most men have stagnated or fallen. But women’s wages started from a much lower base, artificially held down by discrimination. Despite their relative improvement, women’s average earnings are still lower than men’s and women remain more likely to be poor…

Back to top.5. Breaking the Bias Against Women in ScienceFrom: Michele M. Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu]

A debate has started in The New York Times - The Opinion Pages on whether affirmative action, or something similar, should be enacted to advance women in science. To read this persuasive debate and to share your thoughts, please see

Thanks to Daryl Haggard, Northwestern University, for this contribution.

Back to top.6. SMART Scholarships for BS, MS, and PhDFrom: WIPHYS, September 28, 2012

The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed upon degree completion. For more info, visit:

Back to top.7. 2013–2014 Faculty for the Future FellowshipsFrom: WIPHYS, October 3, 2012

The Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future program awards fellowships to women from developing and emerging economies to pursue PhD or post-doctoral studies in the physical sciences, engineering and technology at leading universities abroad. Candidates should have applied to, have been admitted to, or be currently enrolled in a university abroad when submitting their Faculty for the Future grant application. Learn more here:

Please consider applying if you are eligible and/or pass on to dynamic K-12 STEM teachers you know who may be interested in applying. (NOTE: All elementary teachers are considered STEM teachers and we need the elementary voice represented!) The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program is a paid fellowship for K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers. Einstein Fellows spend a school year in Washington, D.C., serving in a federal agency or on Capitol Hill. To learn more about the program – including how to apply - visit

The application process for 2012 Teaching Fellowships is now open. Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) Science and Mathematics Teaching Fellows are chosen from among young men and women who have earned or are in the process of earning a degree in science, mathematics or engineering from a recognized institution of higher education. Fellowships are intended for individuals committed to teaching high school mathematics, physical sciences or biological sciences.

Back to top.10. Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physical SciencesFrom: WIPHYS October 3, 2012

The University of Nebraska - Lincoln is bringing together outstanding student researchers in Physics for a three-day conference, from Thursday, October 18 - Saturday, October 20, 2012. The theme of this year’s conference is “The nanoworld is not enough.” While we will be highlighting progress in Materials Science, there will also be scientific talks covering all aspects of physics and astronomy. Therefore, undergraduate students with research in all areas of physics, astronomy, or related disciplines are encouraged to attend. Find more info at: